Khashoggi Murder

In a pivot for US–Saudi relations, Donald Trump hosted Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in the White House, dismissed US intelligence on the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and unveiled sweeping

Besides the five sentenced to death, three have been given prison sentences, while three others, including the former deputy chief of intelligence Ahmed al-Asiri, have been exonerated

Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to the Washington Post, was killed shortly after entering the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

The exchanges continued even after the Oct 2 killing of Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents

Trump clearly suggested in his statement that Saudi oil production was a key factor in his decision not to acknowledge the CIA's analysis on Khashoggi murder

The sanctions were declared after Riyadh's public prosecutor announced that five officials face a possible death sentence

The Khashoggi affair threatens to damage relations between Western governments and Saudi Arabia, possibly prompting them to impose sanctions on Riyadh or on Saudi individuals

The brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is an extreme example of this new reality